The present invention relates to waste receptacles. More specifically, the present invention relates to waste receptacles configured to store pet waste having at least one rigid portion in order to avoid the sensation of contact between the user's hand and the pet waste.
Many individuals enjoy having a dog or other pet. One responsibility of pet owners is to dispose of waste left by the pet. For example, dog owners often walk their dog in public spaces and are legally required to pick up solid waste the dog leaves behind. It can be an unpleasant experience to remove pet waste from a surface. Many individuals even forgo this important responsibility due to its unpleasant nature.
Pet owners typically utilize a plastic bag to pick up waste, whereby the plastic bag is inverted and placed over the user's hand and then folded around the pet waste after the user picks up the pet waste. This method of retrieving pet waste requires the user to pick up the pet waste with their hands. While the plastic bag provides a barrier between the pet waste and the user's hand, the plastic bag is thin and necessarily conforms to the shape of the pet waste. This causes users to feel a sensation of contact between the user's hands and the pet waste despite the presence of a plastic film barrier therebetween. The feeling of the pet waste in one's hand can be unpleasant and can further deter individuals from picking up after their pet. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a pet waste receptacle that allows users to retrieve pet waste without the sensation of contacting the pet waste with their hands.
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to waste receptacles for use in removing and storing pet waste. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to waste receptacles having various structures, such as U.S. Pat. No. 8,672,372, U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,932, U.S. Pat. No. 7,845,694, U.S. Published Patent Application Number 2014/0265379, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,976,083.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The prior art devices do not provide a waste receptacle having ridges thereon for improved grip. These prior art devices further include receptacles such as thin plastic film bags. Such devices fail to provide a pet waste receptacle having a rigid portion and a bendable portion wherein both portions are configured to prevent the sensation of contact between the user's hands and the pet waste the user is picking up.
In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to pet waste receptacles. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.